NWS Duluth Radar Will be Down April 15-21, 2021 for Generator Maintenance

April 9, 2021

Beginning April 15, 2021, the KDLH WSR-88D radar operated by the NOAA National Weather Service in Duluth, MN will be down for approximately seven days for the replacement of the generator, fuel tanks, and accompanying components. This activity is important to support the radar’s operation during periods of commercial power outages, specifically when hazardous weather is present.

This generator update is the fifth major project of the NEXRAD Service Life Extension Program, a series of upgrades and replacements that will keep our nation’s radars viable into the 2030’s. NOAA National Weather Service, the United States Air Force, and the Federal Aviation Administration are investing $150 million in the seven year program. The first project was the installation of the new signal processor and the second project was the transmitter refurbishment. The two remaining projects are the refurbishment of the pedestal and equipment shelters. The Service Life Extension Program will complete in 2023.

During the downtime, adjacent radars include: KMVX, KMPX, KARX, KGRB, KMQT. For direct access to any of these surrounding radar sites, go to the following web page: https://radar.weather.gov/ A regional composite of all radars can also be found on this website. As a low-bandwidth alternative, a regional mosaic of the radar across the Upper Midwest can be found at https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/lite/UPPERMISSVLY_loop.gif The Aviation Weather Center also hosts an interactive radar display at https://www.aviationweather.gov/radar

The KDLH WSR-88D is part of a network of 159 operational radars. The Radar Operations Center in Norman, Oklahoma, provides lifecycle management and support for all WSR-88Ds.

The National Weather Service in Duluth, MN can be found on the web at https://www.weather.gov/duluth and on social media at https://fb.com/NWSDuluth and https://twitter.com/NWSDuluth

Contacts:

Christopher Gitro, Meteorologist-In-Charge

christopher.gitro@noaa.gov, 218-729-6697

Joseph Moore, Warning Coordination Meteorologist

joseph.moore@noaa.gov, 218-729-6697